Synthroid and Insomnia - Help

Here is my dilemma - I started on Synthroid 50 mcg on May 19th - I have such trouble sleeping - I'll sleep for an hour or two - wake up - decide I should probably get up and go to the bathroom since I'm awake - try to fall back to sleep - sometimes it takes a while sometimes I can fall back to sleep fairly quickly. I did post once before about the dreams - long detailed dreams with a lot going on - they're still there too.

I called the pharmacist to see what she thought. She said that any thyroid medication could cause that type of side effect because of what the function of thyroid hormone is. She thought I should drop down to 25 mcg and build up to the 50 mcg and then go higher as needed. She said this way I could build up the good benefits while minimizing the bad. The problem is I don't think I'm even close to therapeutic levels because I haven't had relief of symptoms. She also suggested sleeping pills short term or OTC Benadryl - that stuff wires me though - I get sleepy but can't sleep. She also saw no benefit to switching brands or switching to the naturals. She said they are no easier on the body - it's the nature of thyroid hormone that is causing the problem.

Anyway - does that make sense to anyone - decrease the dose for a while and then move back up?! I'm reluctant to drop the dose down but if others have had success with that I would give it a try. I wouldn't do anything without calling my doctor but I want to have a tentative plan before I do. I haven't seen him yet - first appointment is July 15th. Last bloodwork was in May - I don't have the values and at this point they wouldn't make much difference.

I may just tough it out the next two weeks but I'm looking for suggestions before I go to the MD. I will definitely get copies of my labs then. When he gave me my labs over the phone he said TSH is 4.3 - only a little high. The T3 and T4 (frees I'm pretty sure) are normal. Hmmmm. I was in the middle of a meeting and couldn't really ask a lot of questions. He did tell me he treats pretty much by the TSH level. This could be a battle so I need to be armed.

I have been on 50mcg of Synthroid for 2 months now and I haven't noticed any sleeplessness? My TSH before the Synthroid was 5.53 and now it is down to normal at 1.485. I don't usually dream but I did have an abnormally graphic dream the other night! I dreamed a crazy dream nothing like I've ever dreamed before? I'm not sure if it's the Synthroid though? If you are having trouble sleeping then maybe the 50mcg is too high of a dose? I would call your Dr. about your troubling symptoms. Are you having any other strange side effects? I have been having hot flashes like during menopause (only 28) and my face has broken out with some bumps???

Thyroid problems can cause sleep issues....whether that is sleeping all of the time -feeling like you have to take naps during the day (sometimes several) - or sleeping only for a couple of hours, then being awake for hours.

Your doctor would be the best one to talk to about this. Maybe he can prescribe you a short-term, non addictive sleeping aid until your thyroid levels balance out. And your TSH level (without seeing your other blood work levels) at 4.3 - is high -period, not just a little high.
Tell your doctor everything that has been bothering you, in detail. I hope that he does NOT just treat by the TSH number, but often -sadly - that is the case. Hopefully he will listen to you and treat both HOW you feel and the results of the complete thyroid work up.

When I was having trouble sleeping ( I would fall asleep at 10:00 p.m. -wake up at 1:00 -then be up the rest of the nite), my doctor told me not to get up once I woke up. That if I got up, went to the bathroom, got a drink of water, checked my email, fed the cat -whatever....then I was telling my body it was time to get up. Also, that I was telling my body that it was time to wake up at 1:00 every morning, instead of sleeping through the night. He said to try to just lay there, NOT trying to balance my checkbook in my head or think what I was going to fix for supper that night, but to think relaxing thoughts, to 'imagine' that I was going back to sleep. Stupid as this sounds - it did help a lot.

I hope you get some sleep relief soon. Please post back and let us know how it goes with your doctor.

I had problems with insomnia & crazy dreaming before I got treated, as I started on 25 mcg - then it went away. I had the crazy dreams happen again when I started 50mcg, then they stopped. I started 75 mcg last week and for the last two days the crazy, vivid dreams have been at it again. I've also been extremely tired (but there seems to be a virus going around and other people feel the same way). Anyhow, I figure the complicated dreams are a part of adjusting to the higher dosage for me, at least. I've had no problems being able to fall asleep. The last couple of days I have wanted to stay in bed.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Last night was a little better so I think I'll wait until my appointment in July and address it then. I'm going to make a list of things to discuss with him and this will definitely be in the top 3.